Emergency Babysitter
by emyy250
Summary: What does Xanatos do when his right hand man can't babysit? He asks the gargoyles of course! And maybe the clan's human friends if they're busy... Inspired by ChelleNorlund's review of Pop goes the Toast. Note: Alex's age can vary chapter to chapter but he will be younger than 12 if I chose to go that high.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Goliath

Goliath's POV

Xanatos was behind Elisa with Alex. The little boy waved as I greeted my mate. Elisa stepped to my side and let Xanatos approach.

"Good evening, Goliath. I have something to ask of you. You see, Owen is sick and Fox and I have an out of town event to go to. It's only for the night." He explained.

"You want us to watch Alexander?" I asked.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Very well." I said.

"Behave for Goliath and the clan." He told Alex.

"Ok, Daddy." They hugged then Fox stood in the doorway. She was wearing a purple dress.

"Is he watching Alex?" She asked as her son buried his head in her skirt, smoothing his hair.

"Yes, dear, I already told him to behave." He turned and kissed her cheek.

"Good. Now, Goliath, his bedtime at 1:30 at the latest and don't let him eat anything past 10. It upsets his tummy. Water is ok. We'll be back in the early morning." Fox told me. "And if you take him gliding, make sure his shoes are on tight and he has a warm jacket."

"Alright." I nodded.

"Come on, Fox, we should get going now." Xanatos placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I love you." Alex looked at them.

"We love you too." Fox kissed his forehead.

"We'll see you later, kiddo." Xanatos nuzzled his son.

"Bye bye." They hugged again.

Alex was passed off to Elisa and they left. We went to the kitchen and I told the clan the news. There was a small jewelry crime spree and we needed to watch for any suspicious activity. After a discussion, I decided that I would watch Alex. Everyone had their communicators. Elisa assured me that they call in case I was needed. They went off and I took Alex's cereal bowl to the sink.

"What would you like to do now, Alexander?" I asked.

"Um… I dunno." He shrugged.

"Would you like to play with Bronx?" I suggested. Bronx lifted his head in curiosity.

"Ok, c'mere, Bronx." He toddled off to the courtyard.

I got a ball and we played catch. Alex had made copies of himself and switched places with them. Bronx got the ball few times. Alex started yawning and we went back inside. He gave the Gargoyle Beast a good rub. The toddler led me to the bathroom and I helped him brush his teeth. Then I tucked him in bed.

"Will you read me a story?" He asked.

"Yes, I will." I looked through the selection and chose a chapter book.

I sat down carefully; the bed creaked under my weight. Alex leaned on me. I read with moderate inflections, not going too loud or growly. He was asleep sooner than I realized. Tucking him back in, I put the book back and turned off the light.

Goliath's POV End


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Bronx

Alex's POV

Everyone was gone. Daddy said some bad people were in the city. I yawned. I couldn't sleep anymore. The alarms woke me up. Maybe TV will help. I sat in Hudson's chair and turned the TV on. Bronx nudged the door open.

"C'mere, Bronx." I called and he let me pet him. "Good boy. Let's watch TV."

I found some old cartoons. They must have been as old as Hudson cause they had were colored funny. My tummy growled. I got up and we went to the kitchen. I got some cheese munchies and then we went back. Bronx watched me as I ate.

"You want some?" I asked and he barked. I gave him some and he ate it. I shared the munchies while we watched TV.

Alex's POV End

Xanatos' POV

"I heard the TV going and decided to check it out. I guess he wasn't sleepy." Elisa told me.

"Thank you, Detective. I would have found him, but this makes things easier." I smiled.

"Glad to be of service." She scoffed as she took the bag of chips back to the kitchen.

Owen wiped the cheese dust of Alex's face and fingers. I looked at Bronx. He was laying down, resting his head on his paw. His ear was half cocked, probably waiting for more chips to drop. We washed his face more thoroughly, brushed his teeth, and tucked him bed.

Xanatos' POV End


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Beth (Featuring Coyote)

Beth's POV

"Helwo." Alex clung to Elisa's leg.

"That's my sister, Beth." She said.

"Not that I'm happy to see you, but, uh, that's Alex Xanatos. As in not your son." I told her. "Why's he here?"

"That's the thing. He" She frowned at him and he shrank back, but still clung to her. "-was supposed to stay home."

"He snuck onto the plane?" I looked at him.

"Something like that. I need you to watch him while I call his dad or somebody. I have a feeling they won't be happy." She sighed. I pulled her aside.

"I can't take care of little kid. I need to edit my essay and turn it in by 5. That's all I get for an extension." I whispered.

"Look, I don't want him with me while they chew me out." She whispered back.

"All done." Alex said.

"What's all done?" Elisa narrowed her eyes.

"The essay thing." He said.

I went to my computer and it was. All the points I wanted to fix were and those thoughts I couldn't pin down were down. It was like I had wrote it. I sent it to my professor after another look through.

"How did you do that?" I asked. "There's no way you could have known about my studies."

Elisa sighed. "Alex is what's called a Halfling. As in half, or in his case, seventy five percent human. Alex is the prince of the Children, fairies."

"How?" I frowned.

"The queen is grandmother." A male's voice chimed in. It was too old to be Alex's. "You're not supposed to do a mortal's work."

"Coyote!" We cried.

"I didn't. I helped Auntie Beth get her thoughts together so she could watch me." Alex held his hand out and Coyote kissed it. I watched them with faint curiosity. I guess that's how they greet their royalty.

"Why are you here?" Elisa asked.

"I caught a whiff of the prince and had to check it out." Knowing Coyote's stories, that could have been literal.

"You snuck out." Alex said.

"Well, so did you." He told him. "And unlike you, I'm not the queen's grandson. Which means you need protection. Seriously, where's Puck?"

"Owen's in London." Elisa said.

"Owen? Oh right, his human name." He nodded.

"You two watch him while I call his parents." Elisa gave Alex to me.

"Me? I just came here to check it out." Coyote frowned.

"Don't care. You better not teach him anything naughty or I'll shoot you with iron bullets." She threatened as she left.

"Harsh." He pouted and looked at Alex. "He's 5 years old."

"The only way you wouldn't mess with someone is if they didn't exist. Are you hungry, Alex?" I asked.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Let's see what we got." I dug through the cupboard.

Coyote frowned as he saw all the ramen noodles. Granted, I didn't like either, but I knew others who were too deep in debt to afford to food weekly. I found some Oreos and gave them to Alex. He sniffed the package and grimaced. I looked at the cookies then the date. They looked fine; it said they were still good.

"They smell like ramen packages. Halflings are more sensitive than humans." Coyote explained, digging in his pocket. He pulled out a granola bar-equse treat. "This is fresh. Snagged it from the pan."

"Isn't your pocket sticky? That looks like honey." I asked. He pulled out a baggie. "Oh."

Alex took it and nibbled it. "Milk."

"I think Christy has almond milk." I got down a cup and poured him a glass. He drank it, but I knew he didn't like it.

He rubbed his eyes, yawning. "The plane was loud and smelly."

Coyote nodded in sympathy. I got him a pillow and a blanket, setting up a nice napping spot. He grabbed my shorts as I walked away. I was about to scold him when I realized that he must have been scared to sleep on his own. I laid down and he cuddled up next to me. Coyote huffed softly.

"What?" I mouthed.

" _You're not careful, you're gonna spoil him. Make him think all women are as cuddly as you."_ Coyote said telepathically, sitting on the chair.

I furrowed my brow. _"You know there's a difference between passing out and cuddling, right?"_

" _You and Elisa have the Maza wit. Men are doomed."_ He chuckled.

" _Elisa's dating Goliath. Been steady for as long this little guy's been around."_ I petted Alex's hair. It was soft.

" _I knew they were interested in each other… Raven's gonna regret it."_ He smiled a wicked, plotting grin.

" _Yeah, I have a question about him."_ He raised his eyebrow. _"So, Elisa told me her Avalon adventure and she said that he called Grandmother 'Cousin.' I know you aren't related to the others, but…"_

" _Ah. He and I are closer to each other than other Tricksters. We have our rivalry because we're so similar. Hell, even Grandmother calls us brothers. But he's part of a different tribe. We have a main tribe and then the others in our territory. I'd guess we're probably second or first cousins."_ He shrugged.

I nodded sleepily. _"There better not be anything on us or trapping us when we wake up."_

" _You never let me have any fun."_ He crossed his arms.

" _Good night."_ I nuzzled the pillow.

I woke up and Coyote was playing Alex. He was teaching him how to make something without bringing it fully into existence. So he could tweak it how he wanted. They were working on roses.

Coyote had this air around him, like he had his fill from the unlocked liquor cabinet. I wrinkled my nose. I'm washing everything. I didn't care if it seemed weird to Christy. He glanced at me, hurt in his eyes. The corner of my lip curved up in a 'yeah, sure' sort of way.

Elisa came back. "Do you know busy can three people be? Apparently, a lot. I called Owen then Fox and Xanatos himself. I waited and was about come back when all the sudden, they blow up my phone. We had to make it a conference call. Puck's gonna pick him up a little after 7 our time. Just to make sure he gets home safe."

"Ok. Alex had a granola bar thing and a nap. Not sure when he woke up." I told her.

"He makes others sleepy when he's sleepy." She nodded.

Alex finished the roses and stood up. He gave me the light blue and pink ones and he gave Elisa the dark red and lavender ones. I sniffed mine. They smelt like real roses.

"They're very pretty, Alex." Elisa smiled. He grinned earnestly.

"Once I find a vase, they'll stay in my room." I added.

Coyote stood and presented us chocolates. Elisa took the first bite and then another. I ate one too. Still good, tasted kinda expensive, even though I knew it hadn't cost a dime.

"We better go get a real meal to eat." Elisa closed her box.

"I know some places, but a lot them are bars." I said. "I don't think my truck's going to fit everyone."

"Just tell me where to go and I'll be there." Coyote said.

"What do you want for dinner, Alex?" Elisa asked.

"Cheeseburger." He thought.

"McDonald's it is." I said.

"You can't be serious. He can get that crap in Manhattan. Let's go to a real burger place." Coyote argued.

"I'm a college student and Elisa's a cop. And I doubt Alex can withdraw money from his account." I told him.

"It's his first time in Arizona. Let him have good food." I saw a fang in his frown.

"I take it you don't like college?" Elisa asked.

"No, I've just seen all the sights. Time for a change of scenery." He sniffed.

"Ok, fine, we'll go the burger place. But you can't go off to chase some booty and you have to take him to the men's room." I jabbed at him.

"Works for me." Coyote shrugged.

We walked out to the parking lot and we got into my truck. Coyote was, unsurprisingly, on a custom motorcycle. I didn't know much about them, but it looked sleek. He loudly pulled out in front of us. I wondered if it was real or if it just disappeared when he didn't want it.

" _This baby is real alright. I just can't ride her around Avalon the way I can in the mortal world."_ He smirked.

" _Get out of my head. That was a special circumstance."_ I frowned.

He quieted. We followed him to the place he had wanted to go. Elisa was tense, but relaxed as I pointed out places I went to Alex. It wasn't too far from campus.

It was a 50's style diner. We sat at booth. Coyote and I next to the windows and Elisa and Alex on the outside. The waitress got us some menus, water, and a coloring page for Alex. We ordered and Coyote told us about the pranks he had done. The successful ones. Alex looked around, fascinated by the décor. There was, at least, several Elvis Presley albums. He watched as someone walked to the jukebox and chose a song. I think he liked how it lit up.

"I wanna do that." Alex pointed.

"After it finishes playing." Elisa told him.

"Ok." He hummed.

"If you're good, I'll get you a milkshake." She said and he brightened.

After the song ended, Coyote took him to the jukebox. He wasn't tall enough to reach the buttons comfortably so Coyote picked him up. Alex chose a song and they came back. The waitress brought us our burgers. Elisa got Alex his milkshake. I let him try some of my burger then he shared his with me. We paid then went back to my dorm.

An elf was waiting for us. "Coyote."

"Puck." He nodded.

"Alex, you can't leave Manhattan without us. Your body is too young. It's not in sync with your mind yet. It's still 5 years old." He said.

"You mean Alex isn't 5?" I frowned, petting Alex's hair.

"No, he is, it's just that his brain matures faster than his physical self." Puck said.

"Sorwy, Uncle Puck." He nuzzled my thigh.

"We'll talk about it in the morning. C'mon, say goodbye." He waited as Alex hugged us. Then they vanished.

Coyote perked up. "I gotta go. Raven's looking for me."

"Alright. Bye." We waved. He kissed our cheeks and he nibbled my lip.

I swatted at him. "Go."

He smiled smugly and disappeared in a dust devil. Elisa and I watched a movie and went to bed.

Beth's POV End


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Brooklyn (Pre-TimeDance)

Brooklyn's POV

"Ah, good. Hold Alexander while I clean his crib." Owen plopped the small baby in my hands.

"What, why?" I said as Alex grabbed my beak and giggled.

"His stomach was upset." He explained.

"Oh, goodie. I get to hold the sick baby." I sighed.

Alex had a new onesie on. It was white with red, blue and green shapes. Owen had cleared out all the toys in the crib, separating the dirty ones from the clean. Alex's cheeks were pink and I checked if he had a fever. Nope. I cradled him in the crook of my arm, but he was kicking and whimpering so I had to hold him to my chest.

"You're ok, little dude." I soothed.

He gurgled and I hoped it was just him trying to talk. I lightly patted his back. Owen stripped the crib and replaced the sheets. He put the clean toys back then picked up the dirty sheets.

"Wait, where're you going?" I asked.

"To put his things in the washer. Fox wants him to bed no later than 1:30." He told me and left.

The baby waved at me and I was given a few picture books. I sat in the rocking chair, trying to figure out how to open the book without letting go of Alex. Or puncture it with my talons. I figured it out and read to him. He was content with my lackluster narration and fell asleep. I put him in his crib and quietly left.

Brooklyn's POV End


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Angela

Angela's POV

"Hey, Alex. Father told me you were here." I walked toward the boy. He was sitting next to the nests.

"Hi." He hugged the egg. I bit my tongue, everyone had already told him to be careful with Katana's egg.

"Owen said you got in trouble at school." I crouched.

"…I was on the swings at recess when I was invited to play tag. Then one of the boys changed the rules. I got upset and they called me a crybaby. Then I hit him." He mumbled.

"Is it why you're in the rookery?" I asked.

He nodded. "I was it and, and then he said had a new rule. I was a 'gargoyle' and the others were 'hunters'. I said that wasn't nice and he said gargoyles were mean and bad. The other boys wanted to be hunters and then I got upset."

"Alex, you can't hit others over a game. That boy won't want to listen to you because he'll remember about is getting hit when he disagreed with you. I know you love us and want to defend us, but you're should have told him _nicely_ why he was wrong." I told him.

"Ok." He said dully.

"You're a good boy, Alex. Remember what Hudson taught you?" I asked.

"No sword in the house?" He asked.

"Not that; don't let people overwhelm you. I think Puck put it as 'have a plan b.'" I thought.

He slowly nodded. "Yeah."

"That applies to other things too." I added.

His lip curled, deep in thought. "But it's hard."

"Puck will teach you how to think quickly, but I know you have it in you. You just need more practice. But it's also ok to be upset and cry." I said.

"I'm ok now." He said.

"That's good." I smiled.

"You wanna hug the egg?" He asked.

"Sure." I hugged it then put it back in the nest.

Alex waved bye-bye then we went to have a snack.

Angela's POV


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Matt

Matt's POV

"Hey, kiddo. Ready for a sleepover?" I asked.

"Hi." Alex smiled.

"Alexander, be behave for Mister Bluestone. Be mindful of his leg." Owen told him.

"Yes, Uncle Owen." He lugged his bag to the couch and came back.

"I'll be back you in the morning. His bedtime at 1:30." Owen bent and let Alex hug him.

"Bye bye, I love you." He said.

"I love you too." Owen muttered.

He closed the door and I slowly hobbled to the kitchen on my crutches. I got out some plates and cups. Then I reheated the pizza. They disappeared as soon as the microwave beeped.

"What do you want to drink?" I asked.

"Um, milk." He thought.

I poured the milk and got a bit of cider for myself. Our drinks also disappeared. Then I made my way to the living room where Alex had taken everything. I realized my foot pillow was still on the coffee table. I didn't except him to know what it was for. I sat on the couch and let him pick a movie to watch. He chose 101 Dalmatians. We were about halfway through the movie when I got up to put the dishes in the dish washer. I hissed as I rubbed my foot on the carpet.

Alec looked at my leg and frowned. "It hurt."

"It's fine, buddy. I'll be better soon." I told him.

His brow furrowed. _"Broken by fallen stones, mend Matt's flesh, blood and bones."_

My leg tingled then flared with magic as it was healed. The cider I drank no longer left a buzz. I pressed my foot down lightly. It didn't hurt. He smiled at me.

"Good job, kiddo. You want some ice cream now?" I asked.

"Yeah!" He ran to the kitchen.

I stepped a bit firmer and the cast broke in two. I guess that's one problem solved.

"Let me help you." I called after him.

Matt's POV End


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Lexington

Lexington's POV

I was testing a new modeling/simulation software when I heard the door open. I just needed to figure out how to get my gargoyle to fly while holding a body. So far, they just crashed. I felt a tiny pair of hands grab my chair. I turned. Alex smiled. His front teeth were still growing in, but Fox said that was on track for 3 year olds.

"Uncle Lex! Look at my picture." He held a piece of paper. It was of him riding a bike.

"That's nice." I said.

I readjusted the arms and wings. Then I restarted the simulation. The large gargoyle took off and the human was in its arms. It flew past the first building.

"I wanna play." Alex crawled into my lap.

"No, Alex, this isn't a game." I told him.

The computer crashed as Alex smacked the keyboard several times. I bent and press the power button on the tower.

"It broke." He said.

"I know, buddy. We'll play after I see everything is ok." I told him.

"Ok." Alex nodded.

I logged back in and clicked the icon. It had saved my model from a few tries back. I closed out.

"What do you want to do?" I asked.

"Um, game. Wanna play game." He thought.

"Like checkers?" I asked.

"Daddy doesn't like checkers. He got bored." Alex said.

"I'm sure we can something fun." I carried him to the game room.

Lexington's POV End


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Hudson (featuring Jeffrey Robbins)

Alex's POV

"Alright, lad, remember that Robbins is blind. Make sure 'e knows where you are. And don't play with Gilly unless 'e says so." Hudson landed.

"Ok." I nodded.

We walked to the brick house. I heard a dog bark. A man opened the door. He was wearing a blue sweater.

"It's me, Hudson. I brought a friend with me today." He said.

"I'm Alex." I said.

"Hello, Alex. It's nice to meet you. Come inside." He let us in.

The TV was playing the news. The fire crackled. There were several chairs like Hudson sat on. Gilly sniffed Hudson then licked his hand. Then she came to me and sniffed me.

"Good doggie." I smiled. She licked my face. I rubbed her ears.

"How old are you, Alex?" Robbins asked.

"6." I answered.

"So, you're in kindergarten, then?" He asked.

"Yeah. I like being home more." I told him. School was boring. I already knew colors.

"Ah. Would you like something to drink?" He asked.

"Water's fine." Hudson said.

Gilly followed him to the kitchen. Hudson sat in one of the chairs. He came back with tray of glasses. I grabbed one and drank a little bit. I was handed the remote.

"You can find something else to watch." He told me.

"Ok." I nodded.

I flipped through the channels. I found some cartoons. Hudson told him about the last few days. Gilly napped. After awhile, the cartoons ended and a commercial played. I had to go to the bathroom.

"Where's the potty?" I asked.

"I'll show you." Robbins got up.

He led me down the hall and I used the bathroom. When I went back to the living room, they were looking at a book.

"Ah, lad. Robbins was telling me about the gargoyles in his book." Hudson said.

"Gargoyles?" I asked.

"Oh yes, with all the talk about gargoyles on the news, it inspired me." He explained.

"I like gargoyles." I said.

"I'm afraid this is a bit too dense for you now." Robbins shook his head.

"Perhaps you can read us a chapter before we go?" Hudson asked.

"Yeah!" I agreed.

"Very well, go sit. I'll be back in a minute." He went down the hall.

Alex's POV End


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Fu-dog

Third Person

Alex crawled on top of Fu-dog. The gargoyle lifted his ear up. Alex giggled and bounced.

"Giddyup, giddyup!" He squealed.

Fu-dog tried to ignore the child. But Alex kept bouncing on him, asking for him to get up. The dog huffed and slowly got up. Alex wobbled a bit but he was delighted. Fu-dog walked around the room.

"That way, wanna go that way." Alex pointed to the courtyard.

He walked past the kitchen and Alex grabbed a banana. He gave Fu-dog a bite. Fu-dog nudged opened the door. Alex got the gargoyle dog to run down the hall. He clung to the dog's neck. They slowed down once they neared the Great Hall. Alex giggled and Fu-dog panted.

"You're a good boy." Alex told him. His tail wagged.

Eventually, he took Alex outside. It was a bit chilly. The grass was wet and there was a bit of fog. They went along the edge of yard.

"Alex!" Fox called.

"Mommy! C'mon, let's go see Mommy." Alex petted his head. Fu-dog barked.

Third Person End


End file.
